Hi, I really love this mod. Best implementation of configurable inserters on the mod portal.
I appreciate that we can use the settings to limit the adjustments to taste by taking out certain technologies, and personally I only enable near inserters and diagonal inserters. However, this means that there is no way to let long inserters pick up/drop from the tile right next to them. With the long inserters technology enabled they gain this ability, but then regular inserters are able to do everything a long inserter can and better so I'd rather not.
Would it be possible to add a new tech, disabled by default, that when researched lets long inserters access near tiles? Thank you very much.

I'm glad you like the mod :)
And makes sense. While I'm currently not working on new features for the mod, I do have a partial implementation for a map setting to change how the long inserters technologies affect inserter range already. So basically instead of there being a new technology you could change the long inserters technology to only extend the range of inserters inwards, but not outwards. That's what I have in mind currently, not guaranteed it would look exactly like that, but I would like this feature in one way or another in a future version.

Would also really like it if you added this. I've been looking for ages for a mod that simply allows my long handed inserters to take and place items one block away. I use the side insertion but never use the diagonals either.

I've enabled the map setting in 2.0.10, saw this thread and then added "Retract Only" in 2.0.11 which should do what you are looking for.

Thanks! This is pretty much perfect now.